Enjoy 2 free articles a month. For unlimited access, get a membership now.

Orijins Coffee

VSHD Design

SAVE SUBMISSION
Bronze
Bronze
Orijins coffee shop with the abstract coffee bar blocks in the center of the space. The beauty of imperfection, and the humility and integrity that comes from living in tune with imperfect nature. - Oculis Project
The wall and floor textures act as a canvas for natural light. An LED light by Davide Groppi highlighting the center of the curve joining both planes. - Oculis Project
Three different ceiling volumes joined together by a ceiling groove used to conceal the AC grill. - Oculis Project
Orijins coffee shop with the abstract coffee bar blocks in the center of the space. The beauty of imperfection, and the humility and integrity that comes from living in tune with imperfect nature. - Oculis Project

1 / 16

Comments
Innovation
Functionality
Creativity
Eco-Social Impact
Total
JURY VOTES
Bar
6.85
6.92
7.28
5.97
6.75
Frank la Rivière
Frank la Rivière Principal Architect/Designer at Frank la Rivière Architects
7
7
8
5
6.75
Nicolas Demers-Stoddart
Nicolas Demers-Stoddart Partner at Provencher_Roy
7.09
6.8
8.34
5.49
6.93
Alexandra Cuber
Alexandra Cuber Director at Fogarty Finger Architecture
Simplicity in its full beauty....
7
7
8
6
7
Ruud de Bruin
Ruud de Bruin Creative Director at Ace & Tate
7.44
6.17
6.97
6.51
6.77
Jocelyne Sacre
Jocelyne Sacre Design Strategist at Consultant
The organic shapes play nicely with...
7
7
7.5
6
6.88
Michael Schwab
Michael Schwab Founder and Sustainability Designer at In Pretty Good Shape
7
7
7
7
7
Victoria Stiles
Victoria Stiles Retail Design Manager at Mirvac
less is more. The design embraces a...
7
7
7
6
6.75
Larry Traxler
Larry Traxler SVP - Global Head of Design at Hilton Hotels
5
6.5
6
6
5.88
Asell Yusupova
Asell Yusupova Strategy Director at UXUS
7
7
8
6
7
Sanjit Manku
Sanjit Manku Associate Partner at Studio Jouin Manku
7
6.5
7
6
6.63
Drew Gilbert
Drew Gilbert Design Manager at OBMI
5
7
5
6
5.75
Xie Peihe
Xie Peihe Founder & Chief Designer at AD Architecture
7.5
8
7.8
6.6
7.48
Katharina Fischer
Katharina Fischer Creative Consultant at Katharina Fischer Design and Speaking Spaces
8
7
8
5
7
Comments
Innovation
Functionality
Creativity
Eco-Social Impact
Total
JURY VOTES
Material
7.10
6.97
7.51
6.01
6.9
Frank la Rivière
Frank la Rivière Principal Architect/Designer at Frank la Rivière Architects
7
7
8
5
6.75
Nicolas Demers-Stoddart
Nicolas Demers-Stoddart Partner at Provencher_Roy
7.32
5.95
8.12
6.12
6.88
Jocelyne Sacre
Jocelyne Sacre Design Strategist at Consultant
Good use of material anchoring the...
7
7.5
6.5
6
6.75
Alexandra Cuber
Alexandra Cuber Director at Fogarty Finger Architecture
7
7
8
6
7
Ruud de Bruin
Ruud de Bruin Creative Director at Ace & Tate
7.32
6.65
6.46
7.05
6.87
Michael Schwab
Michael Schwab Founder and Sustainability Designer at In Pretty Good Shape
7
7
7
7
7
Larry Traxler
Larry Traxler SVP - Global Head of Design at Hilton Hotels
6.5
8
7
6
6.88
Asell Yusupova
Asell Yusupova Strategy Director at UXUS
7
7
8
6
7
Sanjit Manku
Sanjit Manku Associate Partner at Studio Jouin Manku
7
6.5
8
5
6.63
Drew Gilbert
Drew Gilbert Design Manager at OBMI
7
7
7
7
7
Xie Peihe
Xie Peihe Founder & Chief Designer at AD Architecture
7
7
8
6
7
Katharina Fischer
Katharina Fischer Creative Consultant at Katharina Fischer Design and Speaking Spaces
8
7
8
5
7
Designer
Client
Orijins
Floor area
105 ㎡
Completion
2021
Budget
$400,000
Social Media
Instagram Facebook
Finishes
Finishes
Furniture
Furniture
Lighting
Lighting

The silver lining of the pandemic is that it made us -once more- get closer to nature and fully appreciate it. Nature is divine: our design is all about going back to the origins of things. Creating an environment that is as close to nature as possible. It’s this feeling of calm and serenity one gets when sitting on a rock by the sea or sand in the desert.

Relentlessly sketching abstract shapes and volumes to get the feel of rocks shaped by the force of nature. Taking a very innovative approach to the layout of the coffee bar, the 7 marble blocks were sketched by hand, converted to 3d models and fed into a CNC machine to produce those abstract forms. Creating a sanctuary mood, with muted textures, organic shapes and earthy hues.

The shell of the space was the canvas for those abstract volumes, curved walls with grains and textures, bringing the whole feel back to nature. Located conveniently on the street level of the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC), Orijins, a sleek new coffee shop designed by Dubai-based interior design firm VSHD, takes its inspiration from the beautiful imperfections found in nature. Simplistic in form and rich in texture and materials, the design of the café showcases the beauty that can be found in a sparsely decorated space of muted plaster and opaque creamy hues, which borrow their subdued colors from natural elements such as sand, shells, stone, and wood. In the absence of a rich use of décor, visitors are instead prompted by the forms that bring the space to life, such as the curved volumes in the ceiling which provide a feeling of calm and grounding.

The space exudes a rich amalgamation of contrasts: the large blocks of uneven stones, the slender lightweight metal furnishings, the subtle curvaceous elements, and the muted colors. Of note is the coffee bar made of solid blocks of different kinds of marble. Its beautifully curved shaped—an unusual structure for your typical coffee bar—adds itself a dreamy and raw form to the light and airy space.

VSHD put great focus into incorporating a mix of textures and materials—all with minimal color contrast and definition. Of note are the textiles used—fur, boucle, and heavy weaves—used to complement the raw natural concept and sculptural quality of the design and resulting space. The main inspiration for the café was derived from the natural world and from a collection of stones picked up from the shores of the red sea. Nature takes the lead here, but it does so innovatively. Just as the natural light gently beams through the space, leaving an array of shadows on the plastered earthy walls.

In many ways Orijins offers the sanctitude of an ancient chapel. The minimalistic interiors relay a rare beauty found through the magic of opaque hues and rich natural materials. Such a sparsely decorated space also is represented of the vision of VSHD and belief in the beauty of imperfection, and the humility and integrity that comes from living in tune with imperfect nature.